Review of The Vegetarian Kitchen (Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quezon City)

May 10, 2014

We have been to Quezon City area a number of times for years without paying much attention to Mother Ignacia Avenue. That said, I had little knowledge of what exists along that avenue—until Louie brought us into this “secret” establishment at dinnertime on our fifth-year anniversary as a couple. Where? At The Vegetarian Kitchen, a house-turned-restaurant located on Mother Ignacia Street, right across St. Mary’s Academy.

Being raised in a vegetarian family, I am always in the lookout for vegetarian restaurants offering completely zero meat, not even seafood and dishes containing dairy products. According to Kiko Soliongco, son of The Vegetarian Kitchen’s owner, their menu has items for both vegetarians and vegans, as a result of suggestions raised by customers. Those with “V” at the side are vegan food, while those without are good for vegetarians. Anyway, we’re okay to try anything as long as they’re delicious and satisfying!

Review of The Vegetarian Kitchen (Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quezon City)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

The vibe at The Vegetarian Kitchen was laid-back and a bit boring. Lighting was dim; no music was played in the background; and air conditioning was not sufficient. Simple yet clean and sturdy tables and seats occupied the dining area. The lack of tablecloths gave it a feel of a less than special place. Hence, I just kept reminding myself deep inside that we were here for the food, and you should be, too.

Service: ★★★★★

The menu is available for viewing on blackboard on the wall, so customers must either stand to read and choose which to order. I guess that staffs are asked for recommendations often, since the meatless (vegetarian) food at The Vegetarian Kitchen aren’t those that most of people in Metro Manila are familiar with.

Given that the vegetarian segment in the market remains to be small, staffs in this vegetarian restaurant must be more patient in explaining their food repeatedly or as required. On that note, I commend the friendly workers for being hospitable and helpful. Food came to our table relatively fast. Our glasses were also refilled with water whenever they were seen empty. Operations run smooth from 11AM to 3PM and from 5PM to 9PM on Tuesdays to Saturdays.

Food: ★★★★★

The Spinach and Cream Cheese Dumplings (PhP 160) is one of the most popular items on the menu, and it’s no surprise. Tasty spinach was layered inside an incredible crisp, fresh dumplings skin that’s baked in-house. We decided to try it with the white sauce provided on the platter and scattered in small blobs here and there. If Dad were here with us for dinner, I’m sure he would be unstoppable and he’d take them all. 🙂

Next was the Spanish Lengua (PhP 240) with cucumber salad and organic rice. The “lengua” was made from gluten, which arrived swimming in tomato and mushroom sauce sauce. Louie said it bears semblance to the non-vegetarian version. However, for how bright and colorful this dish was, I had initially dismissed it as dull but certainly not bland. (Sorry, I’ve just grown tired of eating this taste as cooked by my mom at home.) The Lengua was like classic Filipino recipe Beef Mechado—but one whose ingredients were mock meat.

Finally, we took a stab at the Rich Tomato and Malunggay Lasagna (PhP 270), which was a showstopper. Every bite of the square piece of vegetarian lasagna was heavenly. The globs of uncommonly delicious and sweet baked cheese on top was so good that you’d almost forget to notice how tender and perfect the pasta are. For the record, Louie said he would rather want to become vegetarian if food he’d be served every day are cooked like this.

Price for Value: ★★★★★

The ingredients used were of high quality, and the presentation of food looked really good. Generally, the dishes at The Vegetarian Kitchen surpass one’s typical preconceptions of vegetarian food. So stop thinking that vegetarian food equates to just salads and greens. 😛 With prices of food ranging from PhP 120 to PhP 250, you can definitely get yourself a decent vegetarian meal here.

65 Responses

The Vegetarian Kitchen may not be a trendy hot spot – well, not as trendy as those ramen bars and milk tea houses in the city, but it might just be the next restaurant we’ll put to our favorite list. 🙂

If vegetarian food appeal to you, you’ll love it here. If it doesn’t, then find a way to like them because your life will be better for it! I recommend splitting orders here with a friend or two as serving sizes are for good for sharing.

I agree, you really come to restaurants for the food, plus when you have a friend with you the ambience doesn’t really matter as much since you’ll be talking so much! Haha! Anyways, I LOVE vegetarian food, I think it just has so many surprises 🙂 Will definitely check this place out if I’m in the area 😀

Yup, Jason, even if the ambiance is too noisy and cramped, I would rather dine in that restaurant rather than waste my time and money in a restaurant offering better ambiance but with poor quality of food. 😀 Sure, this one is a winner!

I agree with you about going to a restaurant for the food. you gave this resto 3-star sa ambience. care to share some insights on how to improve the place’ interior. Medyo hindi kasi maganda para sa akin ang dating.

Better lighting, cooler air-conditioning (just enough to compensate for the heat this summer), better pieces of furniture. Those are all I ask for. 🙂 If you’re thinking of more frills, then maybe I’ll add some indoor plants, aromatherapy and water fountain just to uplift a zen vibe or organic way of living for this vegetarian restaurant.

Ahh hehe yup, it’s hard to be a vegetarian when people living in the same house do not prefer to be one. If you can spend more time in the kitchen and have helpers to cook with you then maybe you can have both vegetarian and meaty viands in one go. 😀

I really love reading food blogs it gives me tips where to go if i;m looking for something to please my taste buds. The place looks nice and vibrant. I really wanna try that vegie lasagna :] I have a question, do the use organic vegies there?

Hi. This is Tita Soliongco, the owner and kusinera of The Vegetarian Kitchen. Just to let you know, the restaurant will undergo a major face lift/renovation in June. We will surely take note of your suggestions. May we invite you to our re-launching in July with a bigger and brighter restaurant plus a menu with new recipes.Thank you.

Looks interesting! I remember my first time trying out mock meat in a vegetarian restaurant in Singapore, it was mind blowing *LOL*! We have one (yes, just one) famous vegetarian restaurant in our town, sadly the foods weren’t nice in my opinion, still it’s pretty successful probably because there aren’t many other choices!

I have explored the vegetarian restaurants in Singapore. Week after week (almost every Saturday or Sunday) for an entire year, I had been on the lookout for the top most rated vegetarian eats there. There are really a few that outshone among the rest. 🙂 Now that you brought back the memories, I miss eating at Singapore vegetarian food stalls! Whaha 😛

You know, what i most like about you doing restau reviews is your honestly to deliver the words based on your experience. Hence, the ambiance in Vegetarian Kitchen. 🙂 But you’re right, for foodies like myself, sometimes we see most about how we are going to be WOW-ed with the food much less about how the place looks like. More power to your blog, Roch! 🙂

The place is looks so ordinary and the things of this restaurant is so simple but the food is so yummy and so delicious…I love the lasagna…I want to taste and try those food…thanks for sharing this place and restaurant…

But your review makes me want to try this out. I probably would not have entered based on how it looked from the outside. The cheap-looking ambience would not have readied me for expensive price tags though.

Actually the prices here are okay versus the quality and good ingredients you’d get. 🙂 Yeah, I think most people would not find its exterior alluring enough to get them to enter and try. This is one of the testaments to the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Yup, I eat vegetarian food every day from breakfast to dinner. Only when I’m invited to blogger events and some restaurants that do not offer vegetarian-friendly food when I push myself to eating a bit of meat. 😀

Food and Lifestyle Blogger in Manila

Roch Santos-Sioco is behind the blog Rochkirstin | com. Based in Manila, Philippines, she's a digital marketing strategist by day (and sometimes by night, let's get real) and a blogger with a large appetite for food & travel. She always aims to create content that's meaningful and enjoyable, whether it's a full-length blog post or a 140-character tweet.

When not blogging or eating, you can find her thinking about innovative technologies, planning out where to eat or travel next, or looking up on trends about health, pets, and wine. :)

Get in touch with her through rochkirstin@yahoo.com or view the About page to know more.

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